Could you provide a brief journey of how you arrived where you are today?
Islamic finance has always been an area close to my heart. I began my legal practice in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and was with ZUL RAFIQUE & partners, when I was exposed to various areas of conventional banking and finance.

On my return in 2002 after gaining a Masters degree, specializing in banking and finance law, I saw that Islamic financing was gaining recognition. I was fortunate enough to have participated in the issuance of the first global Sukuk structure.

I moved to Dubai in 2005, and my stint at Al Tamimi & Company, the largest local law firm in the Gulf Cooperation Council, gave me the opportunity to get involved in the structuring and drafting of documents to be used as standard templates for Islamic products for many prominent local and international banks based in the UAE.

Coming to WongPartnership was a natural progression as it now gives me the opportunity to bring the knowledge that I gained in the Middle East back to my home region.

What does your role involve?
My role is to oversee the Islamic banking and finance practice areas in our branches in Abu Dhabi and Doha, as well as our head office in Singapore.

What is your greatest achievement to date?
The drafting of standard templates for many of the Islamic banks in the UAE, for a variety of both retail and corporate products.

It gives me great satisfaction to know that these are among the building blocks of Islamic financing that I have helped to build, and while we have a long way to go in this field, I am happy to have been one of those who were there when the first steps were taken.

What are the strengths of your business?
WongPartnership won the “National Law Firm of the Year” award for Singapore at the annual International Financial Law Review (IFLR) Asia Awards 2009. The award recognized the work law firms carried out under their domestic law last year across all of IFLR’s core practice areas. Peer and client recommendations were also taken into account in the decision process. This speaks volumes about our commitment and strength.

We have established leading financial services, corporate and real estate practices in addition to our strong litigation and dispute resolution roots as well as our infrastructure, projects and construction capabilities. Our various departments work together seamlessly and are headed by leaders in their respective areas of practice.

What are the factors contributing to the success of your company?
A key contributing factor is our clients and their unwavering support of the firm. Another is finding the right lawyers to grow our key practices in terms of depth and breadth.

For example, the Middle East practice is made up of a team of lawyers who are experts in Islamic finance, infrastructure, projects and construction as well as corporate and real estate work. We remain relevant to our clients as these are the areas where they need legal and business advice.

What are the obstacles faced in running your business today?
The credit crunch has resulted in people being more cautious generally in terms of lending and investing. As a result, the popularity of Islamic finance in Singapore is progressing at a more conservative rate than we had originally anticipated.

Awareness and acceptance of Islamic financing modules in a predominantly non-Muslim jurisdiction is also a challenge. However, like most things, we believe it is a matter of time before Islamic financing is able to join mainstream banking on a level playing field.

Where do you see the Islamic finance industry in, say, the next five years?
The Islamic finance industry is definitely a growth area, although the acid test would be whether Islamic banks will emerge from the current economic situation unscathed. At the moment, the situation looks quite positive, and I am confident that this industry will flourish in the next five years.

Name one thing you would like to see change in the world of Islamic finance.
A more “back to basics” approach when it comes to new products in the market. It is time for Islamic banking to go to the next level, meaning that instead of trying to replicate conventional banking models in the market, the market players should come up with structures which reflect the essence of Islamic economic values.

It would also be good to see a more cohesive set of guidelines and standardization in terms of Shariah principles, although organizations such as the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions have already paved the way for this. Greater involvement and commitment from governmental authorities and bank regulators in order to achieve a more level playing field would also be a welcome change.